West Virginia’s First District Congressman says he wants any U.S. Senator from West Virginia to hold the line on spending.

“I want to make sure that we have the most fiscal hawk that we can because this country’s got problems right now,” Congressman David McKinley said.

As of now, Congressman McKinley, a Republican, says he likes what he is seeing from Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito who is also a Republican.

Capito has already announced her plans to run for U.S. Senate in 2014.

McKinley, though, is not ruling his own Senate run.  He says a number of people have approached him about the possibility.

“I have told them I am, right now, watching to see what happens with Shelley, how well she continues to maintain a fiscal policy that is good for this country,” the Congressman said on Thursday’s MetroNews Talkline.

“If she is not going to be that fiscal hawk that is going to make sure that we get our spending under control, then we’ll find another candidate.”

Any Republican nominated will potentially face longtime U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat, in the 2014 General Election.

Congressman McKinley is serving his second term in the U.S. House while Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito started her seventh term this month.

Shauna Johnson

sjohnson@wvradio.com
Shauna Johnson, a Fairmont native, is an award winning reporter who has been covering news in West Virginia for more than a decade.
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Comments

  • Tim

    The think David is a little bit out of line. It's fine to think some of these things but, why say them in public? Is he picking a fight. Is he now the spending police? Too much talking for me.

    January 10, 2013 at 3:49 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Brian

    Doesn't it seem a bit haughty for a second term Congressman to be talking about a seventh term Congressman like that?

    January 10, 2013 at 4:06 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Peter

    This is a win win for Rockefeller. Either McKinley pushes Shelley to the extreme right and she loses the election, or the Tea Party nominates McKinley and he loses the election because of his extremist views. It has happened in other states.

    January 10, 2013 at 5:40 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Sandy

    This, coming from a 2 year house member? Really? Perhaps Congressman McKinley should look at his own record, which has NOT been consistently Conservative. I have supported the Congressman in the past, but I do not believe he has the right to judge Congressman Capito, who has a long record of listening to her constituents. Her votes aren't perfect either, but I don't hear her judging Congressman McKinley. Why didn't he stand up to John Boehner instead?

    January 11, 2013 at 1:23 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Rob

    A misguided comment by a rookie.

    Despite 4 scheduled visits to his office to discuss veterans issues on behalf of a major veterans organization, he did not make the time to meet with me personally. I always met with a staffer. Congresswoman Capito always has met with me. I just do not believe he is engaged to a degree that he should be. Despite two terms in office, I still am not sure what he stands for.

    January 11, 2013 at 8:43 pm | Reply Report comment